The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1922. LEARNING TOO LATE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 40, 12 October 1922, Page 25

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1922. LEARNING TOO LATE

«E ‘have more than once called attention to the fact that the leading English papers jW/Wh j. were unanimous recently in praising the Salt conduct during the War of the Pope K whom our New Zealand dailies devVi, trounced as pro-German because he was i;'■ lot,' like themselves, blind and un;V :< - Christian. English journalists, who as : ' a rule are educated men, have admitted the truth; ours who are incapable of either learning or 7,V thinking have not even the grace to be ashamed of Cp themselves. To learn too late is unfortunately the way v;. - of the British. Events have now taught them that the / ; game of grab which was called the Versailles Conference was a mistake ; other events have taught them that atrocities and frightfulness cannot conquer ' a brave people. They have learned the lesson, at a terrible ™st, and there are some who think they have learned too I??/'; late. W' ' * Pope Leo laid down in a series of brilliant EnV , cyclicals the philosophy of Christian ethics and economics. Succeeding Popes emphasised his teaching and - preached to the nations the sound principles by which peace might be secured., irresponsible gutter-jour-•,nahsts and politicians whose sole tenure of office rested : on their bigotry told the deluded people that the teach- ! ■ ing of the late Pope was inspired by Berlin; and the Jv, P.P.Ass persuaded thoughtless men and women that i-v' V the Vatican, whence came the doctrines which thought- , ful Protestants now admit were the saving truth, was $5! only aiming at world-domination. The masses will ,j.V• never learn j the lower classes of daily journalists will never learn; but it is good to see that, even at this late, if not too late, hour, the English leaders of \ thought are coming to see for themselves how they were misled and how mistaken, the : world was to turn deaf : v. ® ars the teaching of the Popes. Some time ago, Lord Robert Cecil spoke at a meeting, urging that it was high time to set about correcting the evils of social and political and economic life by- a revival of sound - Christian principles. He pointed out that most of the 1 current troubles arise from ‘The twin theories of evolution and false political economy,” defining the causes

of the present collapse almost in the words of the Popes. Later, a mass meeting was held in Hyde Park, London, for the purpose of organising public sentiment in favor or : the propaganda; of Christian ; principles throughout England. Lord Robert Cecil was the leading spirit and. all elements of British society were represented by leading men, religious and. non-religious. There were an Anglican bishop, a Jesuit priest, and many notable people from the ranks of capital, labor, and political life present. The opinions .of the meeting were expressed in the following grave words . , “In face of the collapse of our existing economic, industrial, and social order, and of so much blindness in statesmanship, this meeting urges all men and women of good will to recognise the solution of the deadlock can be- found only in the practical application of the principles of Christianity to all departments of human life. It declares that a persistent refusal to apply principles of truth and justice and brotherly love is a denial of Jesus Christ, who lived and died for their establishment on earth.” Here, then, we have the thinking men of England admitting that the only hope of reconstruction is by adopting the advice given time and again by Pope Leo and by Pope Benedict. It is good 1 that this should come, even so late, but if it is to be effective it must go beyond resolutions recommending the adoption of ethical principles. Men must go to the foundation of the principles and make religion the basis of reformation, because after all the abandonment of the principles sprang from irreligion and it is the latter that must be attacked first. * National apostasy, the banishment of God from the schools, the teaching of the unsubstantiated theories of evolution as if they were proven, the blind adherence to materialistic and utilitarian theories of economics and politics: these are the real causes why Jesus Christ means nothing to the masses, why his principles are forgotten by the men who make war and peace, recking little of the lives at stake; and until religion is restored; until the children are taught that the honor of God is more important than posturing before a. bit of bunting; until the eternal and immutable laws of God sway public men and inspire our legislators; until men are returned to Parliament on grounds of fitness and not because they pledge themselves to support a gang of promoters of religious hatred, There will be no reconstruction. In England, where there are large numbers of detent public men, where tilery are . many educated men, men of 'high principles who ale willing to put the common welfare before their own selfish interests, there is some hope. But what are we to say of New Zealand, with its place-bunting politicians, its, unprincipled Cabinet Ministers, its debased and demoralised press, its unmanly, school teachers, ready to boycott boys whose success is a shame and a reproach to them, its No Popery parsons, its meddlesome and intolerant Council-of -Churches, its records of crime, its corruption in public and social life, its system of education which trains the young people not to think for themselves, its petty tyranny, its pandering to bigots, its retrograde legislation? If New Zealand ever learns at all the danger is that it will have learned too late. It may be that some day England (or Ireland) will take over the Dominion and send out a few men of brains and principles to govern it, but the present indications are that as it has gone down the hill, morally, economically and politically for the past- ten years, it will go down more rapidly in the next decade, unless the people awake. ' _ ■ '

4 , Music Examinations At the Theory Examination in connection with Trinity College, London, held :at Oamaru in June, the following numbers of pupils of Miss H. Cartwright, L.T.0.L., L.A.B;, and Miss M. Cartwright, . L.T.C.L.; were successful: Junior division, 8 (honors) preparatory division;- 4 (honors), pass 4. ' y: ’ -; 'y ; .y : ;y